When Shang Shujue entered the dance studio corridor, he couldn't hear a thing from any of the studios. If not for the signs hanging on the doors that read "This dance studio is in use," he really would have thought no one was there.
That showed just how perfectly soundproofed the dance studios here were. Shang Shujue paced up and down the corridor with his popcorn, looking quite leisurely.
[Let's see, who'll be the first lucky one?]
The moment Shang Shujue's inner voice rang out, the trainees who had been diligently practicing their dancing and singing nearly choked. Luckily, they were mentally resilient enough, or they really would have been done for.
"Huh? It's Brother Jue. Is he outside? I'm going to show him my screenshots! Hehehe, he'll definitely never see this coming. I can't wait to see his face."
As soon as Bai Xiaoze heard Shang Shujue's voice, his back stopped hurting and his legs stopped aching. He abandoned his stretches and muscle relaxation exercises, grabbed his phone, and charged outside, completely unaware of what Shang Shujue meant by "lucky one."
Before Zhou Zheng and the others could stop Bai Xiaoze, he had already opened the door and left. Everyone couldn't help covering their faces. That silly kid was definitely about to have his gossip dug up.
"Hey! Brother Jue, you're here! I've got some news..."
[Oh! Our first lucky one has appeared. Nuomi, hurry and see if there's any gossip on this kid. I'm going to feast today!]
Only then did Bai Xiaoze realize what "lucky one" meant. He slammed on the brakes, but it was already too late. He could only steel himself and rush up to Shang Shujue, thrusting his phone in his face first to make him look at the screen.
"Look! Look! Hurry and look! I had to be lightning-fast to get these screenshots yesterday. Brother Jue, I really never expected it! That boyfriend of yours who brings you breakfast every day and takes you out to eat is actually from the Songhui Aristocratic Family!"
Shang Shujue took two steps back, narrowly avoiding having Bai Xiaoze crash straight into him. "You brat, what are you doing?"
[As expected of a hot-blooded anime fan who loves cosplaying female characters. Everything he does has that fiery youthful energy. He nearly sent me flying just now. Does he hate Shang Shujue that much?]
Bai Xiaoze: "..."
Bai Xiaoze had cleverly spoken first and thought he'd changed the subject and escaped disaster. He hadn't expected to let his guard down anyway. This was the most deeply hidden secret in his heart, yet it had just been blurted out, instantly turning his face and ears scarlet.
The others had been wondering what gossip there could be about Bai Xiaoze. At those words, their eyes instantly widened, their gazes clearing a little as they exchanged looks.
Huh? Cosplay what? Female anime characters? Bai Xiaoze liked crossplaying in private? You really couldn't tell. Did he have any sexy short-skirted maid outfits? Hehehe...
"Brother Jue, these floor tiles are a little slippery. I almost lost my balance just now. I really was in a hurry."
"Please hurry and look at my phone. These posts went up in the early hours, and they were all gone in less than an hour."
Bai Xiaoze still decided to change the subject. They really shouldn't talk about anything else. If this went on, how was he supposed to get along among all these men? His lifelong reputation! ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
Only then did Shang Shujue register that Bai Xiaoze seemed to have mentioned Song Yanqing. He handed Bai Xiaoze the popcorn and took his phone, not forgetting to threaten him. He really was awful.
"What is it that's got you being so mysterious? Let me see. Hold this for me, and no sneaking any. It's high in sugar. One bite and you'll look two pounds heavier on camera."
"..."
Bai Xiaoze was a little speechless. He wasn't a child anymore. How could popcorn possibly distract him?
Honestly, Brother Jue... But come to think of it, where was this popcorn from? How could it smell so good?
Bai Xiaoze couldn't resist sneakily bringing the popcorn a little closer, and its aroma grew even stronger. His eyes lit up as he gazed at the golden pieces of popcorn.
The first thing Shang Shujue read was Song Yanqing's post. From start to finish, it was all about defending his reputation and threatening Su Youchuan.
He stared at "A-Jue" for a long time before realizing that the way Song Yanqing addressed him in front of outsiders seemed a little too intimate.
Although he had been defended like this many times before coming to this world, Song Yanqing had almost always done it properly and by the book. It had been so official, so mechanical, without the slightest human warmth.
Basically, he had always praised his character, said he took his work seriously, and so on. None of it had been a defense made while standing on his side, as one of his own.
But now, Song Yanqing had not only defended him as one of his own, he had even directly invoked the Songhui Aristocratic Family's name. He would definitely be punished for doing this.
After all, this world's setting established that Song Yanqing and the Songhui Aristocratic Family belonged to a century-old political lineage, with even its very first ancestor having held a position on the level of a prince regent.
Most descendants of the Song Family went into politics and were not allowed to casually post comments or photos online. Otherwise, they would be punished, though the severity of that punishment was still uncertain.
An indescribable feeling arose in Shang Shujue's heart. He felt that Song Yanqing's attitude was a little strange.
Why did it feel as though this guy's attitude toward him had been strange ever since coming to this world?
And every time he looked at him, there always seemed to be a kind of sadness in his eyes...
Shang Shujue couldn't figure it out, so he simply set it aside for now. Scrolling on, he saw the exposé blogger's post and those vile comments. He didn't care about the comments at all, but the blogger's post was rather interesting.
If he remembered correctly, before this incident happened, he seemed to have blocked and deleted Su Youchuan, with the same going for every means of contact.
"Heh, did Su Youchuan get triggered? Pulling this behind my back. How interesting. You brat, add me on WeChat through the main group and send me all this. Thanks."
At that thought, Shang Shujue couldn't help giving a derisive chuckle. Once he finished speaking, he handed the phone back to Bai Xiaoze, then immediately turned to call Song Yanqing.
"Hey, Brother Jue, do you still want your popcorn?"
Seeing Shang Shujue leave without saying any more gossip about him in his thoughts, Bai Xiaoze instantly sighed in relief. Then he noticed that the popcorn in his arms hadn't been taken back, so he chased after him for a few steps and called out.
"Eat it if you want. I'm going to make a call first."
Shang Shujue answered without looking back, then walked straight over to a small terrace. Leaning against the railing, he dialed Song Yanqing's number.
Seeing that, Bai Xiaoze stopped holding back. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth. The sweet taste made his eyes light up again and again. Before he could take a second mouthful, Xu Jiaqiao rushed out and snatched it away.
"Bai Xiaoze, oh, Bai Xiaoze. Who knew you were into anime too? If you're even doing cosplay, you must have money."
"Why did you want to enter the entertainment industry? Is becoming an idol your dream? Or did you come here to drive some traffic your way?"
Xu Jiaqiao ate some popcorn too. It was crisp, sweet, and tender with every bite. He had no idea where this popcorn had been bought, but it was unbelievably delicious. It could practically be called the king of all popcorn.
"Hey, this popcorn tastes pretty good. Yu Zeqi, Zhang Yunchen, come on over. Both of you, try some."
Seeing this, Bai Xiaoze hurried to snatch it back. How could he remember to answer those questions? He was practically scratching his head in agitation.
"Hey, give it back! Brother Jue gave that to me! If he gave it to me, it's mine. How can you just rob me in broad daylight? Brother Jiaqiao, you bandit!"
Most of the trainees were growing lads, and they tended to have bigger appetites, so before long, they had divided up all the popcorn.
They were all such greedy boys...